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Still, we were soon back on schedule and enjoying lunch at a regular stop off on our West Midlands trips. All was well until John informed us that we'd never won after previous visits there. Could we change things this time I thought? And, in truth, I was still confident that we'd win this game as we parked up at the church just a short walk from the ground.
That, I think, was the good news because this game of football was about the worst I've seen all season. It was certainly, beyond doubt, our worst performance on the road this season and I'd say our worst since we failed to cope with Fulham back in February.
Even so, it was a game I never thought we could possibly lose until Coventry scored a goal out of the blue. Then, sadly, at no point did I ever really think we might grab a point from it with the only close call coming when poor referee David Webb didn't give us a penalty for a clear hand ball.
Ahead of the game there appeared to be some real confidence amongst the healthy following of away fans, even when the news came through that the starting eleven was identical to the one that started the previous week against Watford.
With Martin Paterson and Danny Fox still ruled out with injury the options were limited but I do have to ask the question as to why there were three central defenders on the bench. Andre Bikey was rightly there but that should surely have been with one other central defender, David Edgar being my preferred choice given that he can, at a pinch, fill other positions.
Surely this is the time to use some of the ever improving members of the development squad. I noticed Alex-Ray Harvey was there warming up and he, or potentially Chris Anderson or Michael King would surely have improved the versatility of the bench.
We knew what to expect with Coventry given that Aidy Boothroyd is manager and the fact they were lining up with Clive Platt and Marlon King up front. I wouldn't have either of them anywhere near my club to be honest. Platt, on ability, I wouldn't have given free with a lucky bag whilst King, who impressed at times yesterday, wouldn't get near a club for me for other reasons.
It was clear how they would play, and it was clear that they would be physical, and it was disappointing that we had a referee who was as weak as a cup of tea when the bag's been left in the pot for no longer than a few seconds. He allowed some awful fouls to go, particularly on Chris Eagles, Wade Elliott and Jay Rodriguez that really should have been getting some harsh treatment from the match official.
Both goalkeepers made early saves but it wasn't a taste of what was to come. Lee Grant saved well from Lee Carsley and down the other end the much admired Keiren Westwood got out sharply to prevent Jay Rodriguez from opening the scoring.
I felt we were the only side trying to play any football but the first half wasn't that good from us. Having spoken of how well we'd played previously away from home, often with some wretched luck, we struggled at times to string any moves together and it seemed the best options were the balls out wide, particularly to Jay Rod.
He'd set a goal up for Chris Iwelumo last week and almost repeated the dose but the striker had his shot blocked.
They really weren't worrying us at all and the nearest they came was down to an awful decision by the referee to penalise Clarke Carlisle. I'm not sure what position you had to be to not see that Clarke had played the ball, but the referee got it wrong and we were thankful to Grant who pulled off a brilliant save to deny Gary McSheffrey as his shot headed towards the postage stamp to the keeper's right.
Eagles, somewhat subdued on the day, had our best chance of the half but having got clear down the middle he hit his shot from the edge of the box too high and the chance was gone.
Overall it was a disappointing first half in terms of the quality of football on offer but in terms of getting a result I was more than happy given that I didn't think Coventry really had anything to offer at all.
Nothing changed after the break but the first chance went our way and to Iwelumo. Right on the edge of the box he shot wide of target and in truth it was an awful effort from the striker who should have at least got it on target.
It could have been 1-0 at that point; it was very soon to be 0-1. It came from a Coventry corner that was headed out by Iwelumo. The danger appeared to have been averted but the ball was played back inside for Michael Doyle who hit an unerring shot into the bottom corner from a few yards outside the penalty box.
There was just over half an hour to go, a third of the game, and we needed a response. Sadly it didn't really come. Until the last minute of stoppage time, when substitute Lucas Jutkiewicz missed a good chance, we never looked as though we might concede another goal but neither did we ever look as though we might score one.
I did think we should have had a penalty soon after that goal; all the away end as well as our players did, but the response was just not good enough. Some supporters cried for 4-4-2. They got it but if anything it went worse. When they got it they reacted angrily to the substitution of Jack Cork. He'd had an awful game to be fair and could have no complaints at coming off.
The referee played over five minutes of stoppage time but I reckon had he played an hour we wouldn't have scored and so we fell to our third away defeat of the season.
This, overall, was not good enough, and if we play like that many more times we can forget any hope of reaching the play offs. It just wasn't any near in quality and that last half hour was simply soul destroying.
Manager Laws felt we controlled the game up to the goal. I can sympathise with his views. We were the better of the two sides, we never looked as though we might concede, but I'm not so sure you could go as far as to say we were in control.
We were though more than good enough defensively. Goalkeeper Grant had a good game and the back four all played well, particularly the full backs. Tyrone Mears was, for me, our best player and once again Brian Easton came out with great credit as he continued to deputise for Danny Fox.
Overall, we've played so well this season on our travels with scant reward. This time we didn't play anything like so well. This run of results needs to be halted now very quickly. It's 3 wins out of 39 on the road in the league since Christmas 2008. Only Blackpool, Plymouth and Hull have been beaten. It's not nearly good enough.
There are three remaining away games in 2010, at Portsmouth, Cardiff and Barnsley. Our record against those three sides in recent years away from home is very poor. Having said that, trips to Coventry have usually provided us with good results. Somehow we have to find that win. I still believe it could be like a bus service when it comes as two or three come at one. But that first bus is certainly running very late.
It wasn't good enough. It was a shocking game of football. It took Coventry about us and by the time the results had come in we had dropped four places to tenth. I was stunned when I saw the league table and saw that we were still only one point away from the play offs.
That said, if we don't start getting results soon that one point gap will only begin to increase. Right now, this season is far from over as some would have you think, but we sure as hell need to start getting some better results and soon.
Maybe if it all starts badly I should just stay at home.
The teams were;
Coventry: Keiren Westwood, Richard Keogh, James McPake, Nathan Cameron, Richard Wood, Carl Baker (Aron Gunnarsson 54), Lee Carsley, Michael Doyle (Lucas Jutkiewicz 74), Gary McSheffrey (Jordan Clarke 81), Clive Platt, Marlon King, Subs not used: Daniel Ireland, Martin Cranie, Roy O'Donovan, Freddy Eastwood.
Yellow Cards: Gary McSheffrey, James McPake.
Burnley: Lee Grant, Tyrone Mears, Clarke Carlisle, Michael Duff, Brian Easton, Graham Alexander, Wade Elliott, Jack Cork (Ross Wallace 68), Chris Eagles, Chris Iwelumo (Steven Thompson 68), Jay Rodriguez. Subs not used: Brian Jensen, David Edgar, Andre Bikey, Leon Cort, Dean Marney.
Yellow Card:
Referee: David Webb (Sunderland).
Attendance: 14,432 (including 1,551 Clarets).